Detergent metering and dispensing device



u y 22, 1958 c;. w. MORAN 2,844,285

DETERGENT METERING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 51, 1955 George WMoran INVENTOR United States Patent DETERGENT METERING AND DISPENSING DEVICE George W. Moran, Dallas, Tex.

Application January 31, 1955, Serial No.'485,214

4 Claims. (Cl. 222--212) This invention relates to fluid metering and dispensing devices and it has particular reference to such devices adapted for dispensing liquid detergents.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a liquid dispenser especially useful for transferring in measured quantities a liquid detergent from a reservoir into the water of a dishwashing basin particularly in restaurants and like establishments, thus to prevent waste and to insure proper ratio of water and detergent.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible elongate body of resilient material such as rub-' her, having a known capacity and whose walls are reinforced at diametrically opposed points by longitudinally parallel bosses formed integral with the body in the process of molding the latter, thereby limiting the greatest flexibility of the walls of the body to that area thereof which is separated by said bosses.

Another object of the invention is to provide a liquid measuring and dispensing device consisting of an elongatebody of resilient material having acne-way valve in eachend and in which collapsibility in one transverse plane is prohibited by a leaf spring assembly within the body but which yieldably resists collapsibility of the body in a plane at right angles to the first mentioned plane to insure full expansion of the body when pressure thereon is released so that the body will befilled to capacity with liquid when again compressed and expanded to create suction in the line extending between the body and the liquid reservoir. 7 7

Other objects will become manifest as the description proceeds when considered With the annexed drawings wherein: 1 v

Figure l is an elevational view of a liquid measuring and dispensing device constructed according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on a larger scale.

Figure 3 is'a perspective view of the expansion spring assembly per se, and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 2.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference numeral denotes generally the elongate body of the device which is molded from rubber, neoprene or other suitable resilient material. The body 10 is generally cylindrical in form but its walls in one plane are reinforced by diametrically opposed, integral bosses 11 of substantially rectangular shape and whose major axes are parallel with the longitudinal axis of the body.

The upper endof the body 10 is formed with an external annular shoulder 13 which affords a stop for a metal band 14 which embraces said upper end to hold in place a nipple 15 which may be formed of any suitable material but preferably of rubber. The nipple 15 is an integral part of a plug 16 which enters the open upper end of the body 10 and is formed with an annular boss 17 which is conformably received in an annular See recess 18 in the inner wall surface ofthe neck or upper end of the body 10. An annular boss 19 of less thickness than the boss 17 is formed on the lower end of the plug 16 and engages under a shallow shoulder 20 formed in the wall of the body at its neck. These bosses 17 and 19 and their corresponding recess and shoulder 18 and 20 are effective, with the clamping action of the metal band 14, to prevent displacement of the plug 16 from the body 10 by pressure imposed on a one-way valve 21 in the plug 16 when the body 10 is compressed in the manner to be explained later in the description. The valve 21 is of conventional construction and its perimeter is retained in an annular recess 22 formed in the wall of an axial fluid passage 23 which extends through the nipple 15 and plug 16 and communicates with the interior of the body.

The lower or discharge end 24 of the body is made smaller in diameter than the remaining portion of the body and is provided with an axial fluid outlet passage 25. A one-way valve 26, identical to the valve 21 and opening in the same direction, is retained in the passage 25 by means of an annular recess 27 in the passage and in which the perimeter of the valve reposes. A metal clamping band 28 embraces the reduced end 24 of the body to constrict the same on the valve 26 and hold the latter in place.

The body 10 is held normally expanded by a collapsible leaf spring assembly generally indicated by reference numeral 29 and shown in detail in Figure 3. This spring assembly consists of an elongate flat mounting plate 30 which is disposed longitudinally within the body 7 10 and in a diametrical plane at right angles to the lateral thrust which is imposed on the external bosses 11 when the body 10 is to be compressed. The upper end of the plate 30 is retained in diametrically opposed slots 31 in the skirt 32 of the plug 16 and the lowerv end of this plate is retained in diametrically'opposed slots 33.

plate 30. The leaf springs 36- are outwardly divergent toward the lower end of the plate 30 and their lower ends 37 are disposed in parallelism with the plate 30. To the end 37 of each of the spring members 36 is welded or otherwise secured the lower end 38 of a second leaf spring 39. The leaf springs 39 are bent outwardly at their points of securement to springs 36 and again upwardly at an obtuse angle where they are adapted to conformably lie in elongate recesses 40 formed in the inner wall surfaces of the body 10 opposite each of the elongate bosses 11. a

The width of the spring assembly mounting plate 30 is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the body 10, therefore the portions of the walls of the body which are in a plane at right angles to the plane in which the bosses 11 are disposed, cannot be compressed because of this plate, hence the compressive force effective to collapse the body must be in a plane through the bosses 11, at which points the walls of the body are thicker and are forced normally outward by the action of the spring elements 36 and 39.

The liquid measuring and dispensing device is adapted to be mounted above the basin where restaurant dishes are washed. Adjacent the basin is a container (not shown) filled with liquid detergent into which one end of a tube 41 (Figure l) is submerged. The other end of the tube 41 is connected to the nipple 15 of the dispenser body 10.

The ratio of detergent and water is predetermined and since the capacity of the body 10 and that of the water basin is known, the quantity of detergent deposited into the water'is'determined simply by the number of 'times the body is compressed. To transfer detergent from the reservoir into thewater basin, the operator compresses the sides of the body bypressureon the bosses ll fsimulta'neously'i This actionopens valve 26 tofexp'el'the contents of the body while the valve 21 is closed; When pressure on the body is relieved, @valve 26,-closes and valve-21' opens'to'suc'tion 'created'by the expanding action ofthe body, thereby influencing-liquid into the body through the'tube 41 and valve '21. Further compression of the body Will expel the liquid' through valve 26.

his therefore apparent that the spring assembly-in the body lflwilllpermit compression of the body in one direction or plane while preventing compression in a plane at right angles to the compressive force and further, the body will be quickly restored'to its fully expanded position' by the spring assembly to insure maximum inflow of liquid when'expanded.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fallwithin the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid measuringand dispensing device comprising an elongate resilient body of generally cylindrical shape, an integral, elongate boss formed longitudinally on each side of said'body, said bosses being in diametrically opposed relationship, a one-way valve in each end of said body to admitfluid 'at one end and to release the same at the opposite end .of said body, a leaf spring assembly in said body comprising an elongate mounting plate anchored at its ends atoppositeends of said'body in a plane at right angles to the plane in which said elongate bosses are disposed and whose width is substantially equal to the inner diameter of said body and a leaf spring attached to each side of said'mounting plate and engaging the walls of said body opposite said elongate bosses to exert a force resisting pressure simultaneously imposed on said bosses tending to compress said body.

2. Aliquid measuring and dispensing device comprising an elongate, generally cylindrical body ofresilient material having thickened walls in diametrically opposed relationship, a one-way valve in each end of said body, one to admit liquid into said body andthe other to release liquid from said body upon the application ofpressure simultaneously on said thickened walls to compress said body in one'di'rection, an elongate plate extending longitudinally in said body at right angles to the plane of said thickened walls and having its ends secured adjacent opposite ends of said body and whose width is substantially equal to the diameter of said body to preclude compression of said body at rightangles to saidone direction and means carried by said plate and exerting a force outwardly on said thickened Walls to' resist pressure thereon.

3. A liquid measuring and dispensing. device comprising an elongate compressible body having diametrically opposed thickened wall s, -an"elongate flatplate extending from end to endofthebody-interiorly thereof at right angles to a longitudinal plane through said thickened walls, spring means carried by said plate and normally exerting forces in opposite directions against said thickened Walls to resist pressure appliedtexteriorly against said thickened walls, a removable plugin one endofsaid body containing one of said valves 'and slotted to receive one'end of said plate, the'opposite end of said plate being receivable in a slot interiorlyt of the opposite end of said body, and valve means in each end of said body to admit liquid into and to. release the same from said body.

4. A liquid measuring and dispensing device comprising an elongate compressible body havingdiametrically opposed thickened Walls, an elongate flat plate extending from end to end of the body interiorlythereof :at right angles to a longitudinal plane through said thickened walls,

springimeanscarrie'd by said plate and normally exerting forces inopposite directions against said thickened walls to resist pressure applied exteriorlyagainst said thickened walls, said spring means comprising a pair of substantially References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Jopling May 5, 1908 Tellerson Oct. 5, 1909 FOREIGN PATENTS 17l,584- Austria -Dec. 15, 1951 

